The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-08-03
TALKING OF PHILOSOPHERS.
...,tnlscenocs Of Josh Killings. tho Ec-
centric Orthographcr.
lsneclnl Correspondenccl

special Correspondence
vsv York. Aug 1.-The race 81 philoso-
.i. never extinct, and the various species
,U.rrof,,,ion are too numerous too tahu.
. Just now, In the midst OF the summer
I'D, hedisclplos Of Hcgel. Kant and FINER
ar. sitting at their annual meeting in
.a,.ni Mass, b sound the depths OF
,-t.ie ln spite Of tho witty eibcs which
. ,aurraphist throws NJ them when
..., meet. concerning the "whichnc>' OF
ami the "howne,s Of the what, and so
81. choir nomenclature Is only occasion
..pre. and the discussions which they
..ni print should not be- hcyond an or
.r w,.l read persons comprehension
..,n whero thcy assemble is famous not
f. if. early illustration Of patriotism In
.. utouary conflict. but IL IS also noted
... the most Uopul0us home Of authors,
ni pro rata with other classes, per
t... f.ew world Certainly mo- town in the
r,..l States can compare with II IN this
-..t. aul IFS public library, in which their
... ara numerous IS an honor even 10
N-a .n9iis
rfIt mo turn from this group ~ philoso-
... one of quito another kind. Perhaps
ars few newspaper readers who cannot
r .rug The witty maxims which still
l. nm timo % time IN some Of our New
magazines. which boar thcnom dc plume
.f....I. E,ek" There are very few though,
r..t wh0 have any knowledge Of their
..- .Ip II IL no secret however now
..tf..... maxims are the remnants Of Josh
IS r portfolio.
tg..n Nr Shaw, who called himself Josh
was living here 0t the Windsor
ItI naere the profits Of IFS bad spelling
,...I.m fur many years luxurious quarters,
I.IInI his nhtcrate wares 90 one weekly
,.s.. f.r which be at One time got 500 q
rnu % was stipulated In The contract
r.I.nIth chat paper that everything which
l.a.... ana signed Josh Billings, and which
I course miSspelled, should not be pub
I...l outside " It's columns II De- had amy
unn.y % offer, though, which hc chose
..,. over another signature. and which be-
aI sl.u iu civilized way, he was nt liu-
... dispose Of 1t wherever be could find
t.ellrr
I This way be posed as "Unclo Esek,' and
w nIu find. II you misspen Uncle hsek 8
..r.. and sign them Josh Billings, that
.e.II .tsu0 difference i'm the two styles OF
rr.If and composition MI Shaw used
,.rt. down his quaint thoughts ON the
I...-.f n'l sorts n paper, on envelopes and
a lrr,- " paper Of different coiors and
aII.Ioit often whom You were talking with
linn ~. used o. talk of bis method good
I.Iani phlosophize upon provcrb making
r.f His idea was That condensation was
. ..rt ~ good writing and good sense
r favored boiling everything down As
Emerson said. SD in other words said be:
UI.s.nse Of the world is short
Bur-
I'm, anl various the report
rea,h.. mission. he believed, % put the
common sense of AN time la proverbs How
..r..ue some " them are, as. for i'm
,..... some hornet. when bee feels in good
coalition. can break mp whole camp meet
some people hrag of their great de-
..ut. when their great descent is just what
n.m. i like % find "a man just AS honest
nI.l he is measuring a peck % onions as
aIuleis shouting glory hallclujah. Quot
n- wholly from memory, / am obliged %
l.it. out the bad photography.
ulnJ0sh got his hat fun Of proverbs,
r..t.u the Uncle Esek" fashion, be- used TO
.. l..al ono editor's Office % another and let
.Uflr s0it out the slips which suited him.
llI.r th, was done be took The remainder
a.t. hmm for successive offices elsewhere.
d.I.t imagine he left many behind outside
.I ne editors purchased supplies, some Of
,.l E.. ARE still left, hut he lived long enough
f ftre the satisfaction of seeing bis work
r..fI..IfauN IIH
Westminster Review, and read wherever
OH. English language Is printed and spoken
ID. F,,a ou The Mule was valued by lresi-
dent Lincoln. and read by him to Office seek
,r. nnI boo cabinet meetings Esop, quite
naturally was favonte author with Mr.
SHAW. and Doe liked. while Dee could criticisc,
. .m.n. Bee told % friend " mime once That
-. ..0n wrote about twenty four capital
....rl.. nuI that these best ones gave him
l- lime
philosophy 81 Bin Nye, who has lately
..u. l.e fom tho west, IS not like Mr.
.... frItis dinuse, and ., mot SOD much
I...... .tH. 30 is broad humor modelled latter
auuM Wards style But There b, enough
.f..... nul.rit occasionally Co call DO phi
...... of one Kind.
I..um o. Mr. Shaw, it may be said he
aI.1 f.m believer m the authors inspira-
,.. Sometimes ho would not write 40 all %
I..at.. faction and tore up The failure, when
I.f.u.It they were such Sometimes his
I..fI. came with astruggle though housed
..mmmy sign IBIS longercilusions Yours
aII.utu .tmeslen he might seem some
t..., O., speak iiroycronty, but he turned en-
f.....nn4. from serious iirevcrcnce prac-
.H.. ana one of his best sayings was that
a,r..-s ~ Bob mgersol Some one nsked
II. .uc.u he was not going 20 hear Bob
m..r remc, to which Doe replied i'm the
negative If woull not, said Doe. give fifty
...t. ta bear Bob lnserol lecture ON the
.N.ul.. oi Moses. but would give 40 20
lur Moses lecture ON the Mistakes OF Bob
Iu..r..Ifr j. b.
A Bi.gu,tcd once Seeker.